Superintendent Territorial Prison YUMA, Arizona, June 30Th, 1902
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Oemplimente of W. lI. GRIFFITH, Superintendent. .' J 'I MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF CONTROL OFFICE IN THE CAPITOL BUILDING Phoen~-Arizo~a. ALEXANDER O. BRODIE, Governor W. F. NICHOLS, Auditor E. J. BENNITT, Citizen Member and Secretary FRANKLIN D. LANE, Clerk OFFICERS OF THE TERRITORIAL PRISON At Yuma, Arizona. Wm. M. GRIFFITH, Superintendent U. G. WILDER, Assistant Superintendent WALTER T. GREGORY, Secretary OFFICERS OF THE INSANE ASYLUM OF ARIZONA Phoenix, Arizona. DR. W. H. WARD, Superintendent ALLY K WARD, Matron J. H. KIRKLAND, Acting Steward BIENNIAL REPORT OF THE Board of Control of Arizona. OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF CONTROL, PHOENIX, Arizona, July 1st, 1902. Hon. Alexander O. Brodie, Governor of Arizona.. Sir: In accordance with Paragraph No. 287, Revised Statutes of Arizona, of 1901, I have the honor to present the fourth binennial report of the Board of Control of Arizona, together with the reports of the super· intendents of the Territorial Prison at Yuma, Arizona, and the Insane Asylum of Arizona, at Phoenix. In presenting this report for your consideration, we do not claim that it is a marvel either of the cheapness or expense in the maintenance of either of the institutions reported herein, but we do expect to show that they have been conducted as cheaply as was prudent, having in mind the welfare of the Territory as well as that of the inmates. The prices of all kinds of food products and clothing have been higher and subject to more violent fluctuation than for any biennial period since the establishment of this Board, and if indeed the cost of maintenance has not exceeded that of previous years, it is solely due to the watchful care and efficiency of the superintendents in charge. TERRITORIAL PRISON. This, the most expensive, if not important public institution in the Territory, has been conducted during this biennial term at what seems to us to be as Iowa minimum as is consistent with the welfare of the institution. During this time all kinds of food products and clothing have been higher than for many years, the men have been worked in larger numbers and more continuously than heretofore, which has necessitated larger amounts of clothing and other supplies, but the most important item of expense is the excessive number of guards that have to be employed, and will have to be continued until a modern prison is constructed. By referring to the Superintendent's report, it will be seen that the gross expense for the past two years is 54 cents per day per man; of this amount, over 27 cents was expended for salaries and wages in 1900 and 1901, and nearly 29 cents in 1901 and 1902, being over one·half of the total expense. The net expense for 1901·1902 is five cents higher than for 1900·1, largely due to the fact that there was a considerable falling off in the number of United States prisoners. The last Legislature made a very liberal appro· priation for the improvement of the prison in a general way, but not sufficient to undertake the erection of a modern cell house. None of this appropriation was available until nearly a year after the adjournment of the Legislature, and then only one-half, but even with this much substantial progress has 2 been made. A very large amount of excavating has been done on the hill at the south end of the prison ground, preparatory to the extension of the prison walls, forming a large yard, in which is designed to be erected a new steam and lighting plant, and all workshops, and the removal of these objectionable features from the main yard, and construct a new separate yard with adequate cells for female prisoners. The proposed excavation of the hill rendered necessary the erection of a new hospital, which has been advantageously placed upon the present cell house, and contains a separate ward for the use of the prisoners affected with tuberculosis. Heretofore these prisoners have been separated as much as possible, but we have never been prepared to entirely separate them from other sick prisoners. We regard this as the worst needed and most important of our improvements. By referring to the Superintendent's report it will be seen that many useful and important improvements have been made to the building, to render them more sanitary and convenient for the uses to be made of them, chief among which was the enlarging and rebuilding of the dining room and kitchen, remodeling the laundry and bath room, the installation of a new ventilating system, and the removing and relaying of nearly all of the water and sewer pipe within the yard, the excavation and macadamizing of the yard. This has afforded a very large amount of work, was greatly needed and is a permanent and lasting improvement. It is practically impossible to determine the amount of money necessary to complete the improvements now under way, but it is estimated that the remainder of the last appropriations that will be available early in 1903 will practically complete them. The most needed improvements that should be next considered are a new bake oven, a new sixty horse power boiler and a duplicate engine, large water pump that can be used for fire pur poses, an adequate warehouse for miscellaneous storage, a new building for the office and commissary, with a second story for sleeping rooms for the guards. Our guard accomn::odations are very inadequate and the office building will not accommodate a second story. The Superintendent's dwelling is of adobe, old, and without proper foundation, and should be entirely removed and a modern dwelling of ample size erected in its place. The present horse and cow stables should be entirely removed and rebuilt, uniformly with the proposed warehouse, which should be built adjoining. By using proper economy of labor the work; of erecting the new wall, and completing the excavation of the new yard may be made to Im;t for possibly two years, unless other sources of employment are provided, the men will be without work of any kind. ruch a condition could not be maintained for any consilemllle time without serious consequences. It will therefore be incumbent upon the next Legislature to provide some means of employment in the way of farther improvement of buildings or the removal of the institution to some locality where inexhaustible sources for the employment of labor are at hand in the form of granite quarries. With the completion of the new hospital it is possible to separate the consumptive from other prisoners, but we are yet without any adequate means of caring for the insane or mentally unbalanced. Provisions should 3 be made for the proper care of this class of prisoners. In previous reports we have had much to say concerning the advantage and necessity for the erection of a modern prison in some suitable location, and can only urge a careful investigation of this subject by the Honorable members of the coming Legislature, and believe that the necessity of a newer and larger penitentiary will be so apparent to them, that they will authorize an early construction of such an institution. It is the belief of the Board that much good could be accomplished, not alone to the individuals themselves, but in the matter of reformation and discipline, if a law could be passed, whereby the younger prisoners and those making an honest effort to reform, could be transferred to the Reform School. This would reHeve somewhat the crowded condition of the prison and act as a stimulant to those capable of reformation. Many of the above improvements are recommended on the supposition that the Town of Yuma will make the Territory permanent and sufficient title to all ground occupied by them, and any adjacent land that may be deemed necessary for the proper administration of the prison. The management of the prison for the past two years is all that cCluld be desired, and the amount of permanent improvements to the property of the Territory has been much greater than for any previous biennial period, and we wish to thank the superintendents and their assistants for the very able and satisfactory manner in which this result has been ac complished. INSANE ASYLUM. The general business of the Territory seems to have been more or h')ss restricted for the last two years owing to the extended drouth, and whether or not the drouth has had any bearing on the proportion of Insanity, the fact remains that the admissions [or the past two years have been some fifteen per cent. ahove any previous biennial period. And this coming at a time when the wards were already crowded, has taxed the energy and resources of the superintendent to provide accommodations for the in creasing numbers, and this brings us at once face to face with some of the most serious questions to be solved by the next Legislature. The accommodations furnished by the present buildings have been long insufficient and becomes more so every month. This may be attributed partially to the small size of the buildings, and partly to the laxness of the law that permits all classes, imbeciles, idiots, inebriates, epileptics, the aged and the infirm to be sent to the asylum. We are aware that treatment should be provided for these classes of people, and would not object to their being brought to the asylum if separate wards were provided for their treatment; but under the existing conditions it is necessary to put them in wards with all classes of insane people, which is not alone dangerous to themselves, but serves as an irritant to those that are convalescent.